Press release

Wed, May 15th 2013 09:25 pm

Congressman
leads effort in House of Representatives to stop land border crossing
fee

Congressman
Brian Higgins, NY-26, won approval for an amendment blocking the U.
S. Department of Homeland Security's plan to study a new land
crossing fee at U.S. borders. Higgins introduced the amendment during
today's House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security hearing
to markup H.R. 1417, the Border Security results Act of 2013.

"This
is a huge victory for Western New York and other communities across
the northern border that rely on the seamless flow of people and
goods between the U.S. and Canada to support our economies,"
Higgins said. "The fee would have put an unfair burden on residents
who frequently travel across the border, and the cost of the proposed
study would have taken resources, already stretched thin, away from
significantly more critical security needs."

Higgins
first questioned
Secretary Janet Napolitano about the plan, included in the Department of
Homeland Security budget proposal, to study a new land border
crossing fee during a committee hearing on April 18. He followed up
on the conversation reiterating in a letter
to the secretary his strong opposition to the plan. Higgins also
spoke on the Floor
in against the fee and led a joint
letter with other members representing the northern border
calling for the effort to be dropped.

Higgins
is a member of the House committees on Homeland Security and Foreign
Affairs and serves on the US-Canada Inter-Parliamentary Group.
Higgins also sent a letter to the House Ways and Means Committee,
which has jurisdiction and would need to approve the fee. His
congressional district of Western New York borders Canada and
includes three automobile and two rail border crossings along the
northern border.